Trout tickling
Encyclopedia
Trout tickling is the art of rubbing the underbelly of a trout
using fingers. If done properly, the trout will go into a trance-like
state after a minute or so, and can then easily be thrown onto the nearest bit of dry land.
and working men in times of economic stress, particularly during the 1930s depression-era
. Poachers using the method required no nets, rods or lines or any other incriminating equipment if apprehended by the police
or gamekeeper
s.
Thomas Martindale's 1901 book, Sport, Indeed, describes the method used on trout in the River Wear
in Northumberland
:
In Scotland
the technique is more often called "guddling" or sometimes "ginniling". The practice is currently illegal under most circumstances in Britain
. A related method of catching catfish
by hand is called noodling
in the U.S.A.
writing in his Halieutica, the greatest work of antiquity on angling
, refers to catching trout by hand in the following lines:
Aelian
, a Greek
writer of about 230 A.D., writes in his De Natura Animalium (as published in England in 1565): "If men wade into the sea, when the water is low, end stroking the fish nestling in the pools, suddenly lay hands upon and secure them." While in Francis Beaumont
and John Fletcher
's Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
, a ribald comedy dating from 1624, Estifania remarks "Were comes a trout that I must tickle, and tickle daintily"
The technique is also mentioned in several of Shakespeare's plays: in Twelfth Night, the servant Maria refers to the approach of the hated Malvolio
, head of Olivia's household, with the words "for here comes the trout that must be caught with tickling" (Act 2, Scene 5). Maria and others are conspiring to trap Malvolio into acting foolishly by forging a love letter from Olivia.
Trout tickling is also mentioned in later works: Mark Twain
wrote about catching catfish
in a similar manner while mentioning that salmon
and certain other species can also be lured and caught in this way. It is also described as a poaching
method in Roald Dahl
's classic novel Danny, the Champion of the World
, in Linda Buckley-Archer's science fiction novel Gideon the Cutpurse
, and in the video game Theme Hospital
as a hobby of many of the staff for hire.
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
using fingers. If done properly, the trout will go into a trance-like
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
state after a minute or so, and can then easily be thrown onto the nearest bit of dry land.
History
The technique was a common practice used by boys, poachersPoaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
and working men in times of economic stress, particularly during the 1930s depression-era
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Poachers using the method required no nets, rods or lines or any other incriminating equipment if apprehended by the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
or gamekeeper
Gamekeeper
A gamekeeper is a person who manages an area of countryside to make sure there is enough game for shooting, or fish for angling, and who actively manages areas of woodland, moorland, waterway or farmland for the benefit of game birds, deer, fish and wildlife in general.Typically, a gamekeeper is...
s.
Thomas Martindale's 1901 book, Sport, Indeed, describes the method used on trout in the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
:
In Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
the technique is more often called "guddling" or sometimes "ginniling". The practice is currently illegal under most circumstances in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. A related method of catching catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
by hand is called noodling
Noodling
Noodling is fishing for catfish using only bare hands, practiced primarily in the southern United States. The noodler places his hand inside a discovered catfish hole...
in the U.S.A.
In history and fiction
Trout tickling has an ancient history. The Greek writer OppianOppian
Oppian or Oppianus was the name of the authors of two didactic poems in Greek hexameters, formerly identified, but now generally regarded as two different persons: Oppian of Corycus in Cilicia; and Oppian of Apamea in Syria.-Oppian of Corycus:Oppian of Corycus in Cilicia, who flourished in the...
writing in his Halieutica, the greatest work of antiquity on angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
, refers to catching trout by hand in the following lines:
Aelian
Aelian
Aelian or Aelianus may refer to:* Aelianus Tacticus, Greek military writer of the 2nd century, who lived in Rome* Casperius Aelianus, Praetorian Prefect, executed by Trajan...
, a Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
writer of about 230 A.D., writes in his De Natura Animalium (as published in England in 1565): "If men wade into the sea, when the water is low, end stroking the fish nestling in the pools, suddenly lay hands upon and secure them." While in Francis Beaumont
Francis Beaumont
Francis Beaumont was a dramatist in the English Renaissance theatre, most famous for his collaborations with John Fletcher....
and John Fletcher
John Fletcher (playwright)
John Fletcher was a Jacobean playwright. Following William Shakespeare as house playwright for the King's Men, he was among the most prolific and influential dramatists of his day; both during his lifetime and in the early Restoration, his fame rivalled Shakespeare's...
's Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
Rule a Wife and Have a Wife is a late Jacobean stage play, a comedy written by John Fletcher. It was first performed in 1624 and first published in 1640....
, a ribald comedy dating from 1624, Estifania remarks "Were comes a trout that I must tickle, and tickle daintily"
The technique is also mentioned in several of Shakespeare's plays: in Twelfth Night, the servant Maria refers to the approach of the hated Malvolio
Malvolio
Malvolio is the steward of Olivia's household in William Shakespeare's comedy, Twelfth Night, or What You Will.-Style:Malvolio's ethical values are commonly used to define his appearance.In the play, Malvolio is defined as a "kind of" Puritan...
, head of Olivia's household, with the words "for here comes the trout that must be caught with tickling" (Act 2, Scene 5). Maria and others are conspiring to trap Malvolio into acting foolishly by forging a love letter from Olivia.
Trout tickling is also mentioned in later works: Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
wrote about catching catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
in a similar manner while mentioning that salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and certain other species can also be lured and caught in this way. It is also described as a poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
method in Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
's classic novel Danny, the Champion of the World
Danny, the Champion of the World
Danny, the Champion of the World is a 1975 children's book by Roald Dahl. The plot main centers on a young English boy, Danny, and his father, William, who live in a Gypsy vardo fixing cars for a living and partake in poaching pheasants. The story is based on Dahl's adult short story "Champion of...
, in Linda Buckley-Archer's science fiction novel Gideon the Cutpurse
Gideon the Cutpurse
Gideon the Cutpurse, published in the US as The Time Travelers, is a 2006 science fiction novel by Linda Buckley-Archer, and is the first book in the The Gideon Trilogy...
, and in the video game Theme Hospital
Theme Hospital
Theme Hospital is a simulation computer game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1997, in which the player designs and operates a hospital. Like most of Bullfrog's games, Theme Hospital is permeated by an eccentric sense of humour. The game is the thematic...
as a hobby of many of the staff for hire.
External links
- How to tickle trout
- "Catching Fishes with the Hand" in The American Naturalist, 1948.
- ‘The Art of Tickling Trout & Other Sensual Pleasures’ Video 2003